" Do you know how long it took my father to understand that the child the woman spoke about was the old Moses Helmswort, the freeman under count Gallaway Helmswort?
One full year of near insanity from a devotion to save people, most of whom would prize their death far more than the very idea of a saviour...but it didn't matter to papa. The sad part being that he gave up on this sad thing called life just when the realization dawned on him like a new day."
" Your father was a good man."
" Yes, he routed his enemies and chopped their head off...see, I completed the most important part."
" Liquor isn't going to help you, Oliver. You are a full grown man now, and you need to snap out of this daily bitter brooding and take care of your family."
"Yes, sir... I'm aware,"he waved, and staggered off to the burden weighing him down, and dusting the counter, the old man wiped his hands, took a deep breath with his sight trailing the merry young man, humming incoherently as he traced his way. Heaving down at the counter, he paused for awhile, trapped in his thoughts, and moments later, he whistled, and right away, a young boy in tatters ran up to him from the door, few feet away from him, and bowed his head.
"Take this food," he said, handing down a package to him, and in appreciation, the boy reached out to hug him with no obvious excitement on his face, and stooping, he ordered," tell the count the Rosewood returned."
Around the time Oliver made his way back to Fenton, an ominous sign appeared in the town.
The clouds held bound together for days with the likeness of a war in the sky, and like in few wars, there was only one left standing against the flood of armies on the opposite side, but as confident as his stance was, he held no sword,but his hands stretched sideways, not in surrender.
The same time, Oliver observed the image, far away on an island, a heavily bearded man, arrived at the waters and bent to drink but before he drew water with his cupped palms, he was propelled up at once, and staring for a moment, he turned away, walking through a small part in the forest to a fallen bough, below which nestled the boat that bore him hitter.
"We must return."
"We have talked about this already, Billy, we can not go back ever."
"You don't have options now, daddy,"the young man said with a grin, and when peter looked back from the bed on which Natasha lay, stunned by that word, his eyes met the dagger in his son's hand.
"What do you want to do?"
"What do you think I want to do?"he asked, mimicking the subdued voice of his father, who had become sore afraid.
"Billy, look..."
"It's not Billy!"he shot back angrily.
Tears streamed down Natasha's eyes, but her lips moved not.
"Fine, but don't you see the state she's in? How can she return like this?"
"She will. You are still alive for that purpose,"he replied grinning, with bloodshot eyes that dared him to object.
Two days later, Count Gallaway was informed at the early hours of the night, when his household had retired to bed, bearing the news that the treasure had returned to it's place, and more in fright than in rage, he hurried down to the port, without a single soldier accompanying him.
"No Mama, this is my home and I'm staying. Whatever my father started has to be finished and I can not let his struggles be for nothing."
"It's no business of yours, Oliver, just like it was never your father's."
"And what makes you so sure?
For all I know, Mama, Papa wanted it locked away for a good reason, and I'm telling you that it must have been dug out already, don't you understand?
He gave everything up for this one thing."
Nina and Tyler look at each other, dejected, as he stood his ground, determined to stay even after they had used his mother to get to him, but unknown to them, staying was just a redemption for what he had done.
"Then I'm staying too...no, not a word. If you can not go with me, I will stay with you Oliver. You are the only family I have left...."
"Have you forgotten me?
Didn't think it would be so soon."
Stunned, they all turned speechless, looking at the figure by the door, leaning and scratching like the little Benjamin did anything he grew anxious.
"Ben...Ben, is it you."
"Do I look different? You grew so fast but your rudy face remains, little brother."
"You were gone for so long."
While the brothers lingered in each other's embrace, Nina and Tyler, smiled heartily, pleased with his return, as he was their childhood friend, but Rosie was withdrawn, not stepping even an inch close to him and when Oliver realized that, he disembarked from his brothers arms, cold with a menacing look.
"What have you done, Benjamin?"
"All is now as it should have been,"he said, and stepping close to her with his arms outstretched, he beckoned softly to her, broken to the core as the past times returned shooting through the long gap between his days with the desire he had as a child.
"Please, just this once. Hold me Mama."
Her hair was neatly pack into a bun at the back, and except the wrinkles on her forehead and her saggy cheeks, riddled with the pain of loss, and her posture, slightly bent to the side from a partial stroke she recovered from, Rosie was as she was the last day in the boys memory of his family.
Leaning towards him, convulsing in tears, as did Ben, Rosie took him into her arms and coiled herself around him, feeling the surging joy of a mother who found her lost son, without another thought in mind, relishing in their profound satisfaction the moment brought, but soon the body grew heavier on her until she could not support him any longer and both fell on their knees.
Looking down at the body as it fell backwards, Nina looked from Tyler to Mrs Rosewood,who was yet calling out to Ben, and when she looked towards the door, there was no sign of Oliver